


The Examining

by archivedaccount27953



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Child Death, Disassociation, Drama, Family, Good luck lmao, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Post-Summertime Record, in case that's something that should have a warning, like a kid gets stabbed but...she's ok!!, lot's of OCs, once again I don't know how much lore im getting into here so :pensive:, some of them mine and some of them are my friends'
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 10:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19868272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archivedaccount27953/pseuds/archivedaccount27953
Summary: When Katsuki and her mother are killed by an intruder and she is placed in an orphanage, she discovers she and her roommates have strange abilities and must learn to control her powers before they consume her life and her family.





	1. The Examining: 000

"Katsukiiiiiii! Katsukiiii are you even listening?"

When I heard the voice of my friend I glanced up at her but I wasn't in the mood to talk to her right now, only frowning at her.

Because she was my friend and I knew I was supposed to say _something_ I managed to blink and stutter out the first words that came in deadpan. "What do you want?"

As expected, the patterns in her second layer of numbers shifted. Ones became zeroes here and there and the twos began to sort themselves differently. I knew this meant she'd become upset.

Sorry I really _did try_ to answer correctly, Mitsuki.

"I said miss Kido is coming soon, aren't you going to make an effort to seem normal at least?"

My eyebrows raising a little, I leaned back against my pillow and rested my head on my elbows. "I don't see the point. If I'm fussy I'm sure she'll bear it; she's the grown up not me."

"But don't you want to talk to miss Kido?"

I did, in fact, want to talk to her but I didn't want to have to do so insincerely. If I'm sad she'll have to learn to accept that too or she doesn't really care right?

That's what I thought but I knew there was no point explaining it to Mitsuki who for some reason found impressing Kido to be of the utmost importance.

So I had to think of something distracting.

"Why bother with the 'miss' stuff? Just call her Kido...she doesn't like it when you talk like that, you know?"

"Huh?" Mitsuki stopped and pulled at her hair a little as she thought about it. "Did she say that?"

I looked to the door but no one seemed to be outside it so I looked back to her. "Her twos get annoyed."

"Ehh?! Even her twos? Oh no oh no this is bad!" She hopped up and down to expel the excess energy from her anxiety.

I noticed her eyes starting to go red and inwardly groaned. Looks like I was careless.

"Calm down. She's not mad just try calling her something different."

She nodded, exclaiming she would and bending one fist in determination. For a few seconds it seemed she was distracted but then…

"But don't get off topic! Why are you so grumpy today?"

"I'm sad not grumpy there's a difference!" I couldn't help but snap in annoyance. I'm not really patient with Mitsuki.

"Well tell me the difference."

"No." I rolled over then so I wouldn't have to see her numbers changing.

"At least tell me why you're sad!" She came bounding over, standing just besides my bed.

"You're too stupid to get it."

"Hey! At least I try to understand things!" She snapped. "If it weren't for your power you wouldn't know anything at all!"

"Guys stop fighting!"

When we were interrupted by a boy's voice I knew about as well as Mitsuki's I sighed. I didn't need to look to know he was holding his teddy bear Sachi to calm her and glaring at both of us for being "too scary".

Mitsuki went to apologize to Sachi, yes, the teddy bear. Meanwhile I was left to stare at my wall and the many dumb carvings left by my predecessor.

How did I get in this situation?

Well that was easy enough to contemplate. Everything started months ago in my former home.

I'd been having a normal day at first. I helped mom get ready for work, hugged her goodbye as per usual and was spending my free time as usual talking to my various friends over the phone when I heard something strange.

"Katsuki, do you feel unsafe around anyone?"

I hadn't been asked this before now by anyone and I was confused. He never said stuff like that he normally talked about his sons and about the city he lived in. I liked him because he had snakes for hair and a love for cooking things for his family.

I didn't know how to respond. I didn't feel unsafe because I was at home right? Mom was coming home soon and I was going to surprise her by making dinner. I'd called this friend to ask him for a recipe I could make. Now he was asking me these weird questions.

"No, why?"

"...No reason. Please don't answer the door if you hear someone unfamiliar knocking."

I didn't understand but I said yes anyway. Advice like that didn't make much sense to me. How would he know who would knock?

He did give me instructions on how to safely use the stove, which I knew but he was worried. He told me what I could make that would be tasty from our ingredients and so after our conversation ended I set to work.

My mom worked very hard for me, because she loved me, so I wanted to work hard sometimes too. I thought about that as I carefully cut vegetables and began to make rice. I was excited because I knew even if it wasn't the best that she would be very happy.

Mom was always happy when she had time for me, which she said didn't happen as much as she wanted because she had to make our money. I was mad at her boss for making her work more and at the people who invented money when everyone could just share but there's nothing kids can do.

I got done just around the time she usually came home and had become tired but excited. I didn't want her to know I was excited though because I wanted it to seem normal. The idea was for her to come home and for me to casually tell her dinner was done already.

If only that's what had happened, it was a nice thought, but no. I had something different happening.

When someone knocked on the door I stood and had gone to answer it when I stopped. Mom had a key and that meant this was someone different. Hadn't I been told not to answer the door earlier?

Still it could be important!

Thinking I would do the smart thing, I came and stood near the door and called out. "Who's there?"

"It's me!"

The voice was familiar, a man's voice I'd heard before. He talked to my mom a lot, they'd been together for a bit and then he'd broken her heart. I didn't like that and I said I'd punch him if I got the chance but now that he was here I didn't think I should try it.

He's probably here to say he's sorry, I thought. Anyway he was annoying but he was familiar and he wasn't dangerous so I thought it would be okay to let him in.

"You better have flowers!" I called out, keeping my voice indignant before I opened the door for him.

He looked different than normal. He had a mask over his face but I thought he might be sick. He was so lovesick without my mom that he got sick for real and would surely collapse at her rejection. I couldn't blame him because my mom was the best in the world but because he broke her heart I was glad he was sick.

He stepped inside without saying hi or telling me anything and he didn't have flowers. I knew he was a jerk but why would he come empty handed? Mom should get better than flowers for putting up with him and he still brought nothing.

He looked around and then back down at me, sliding one hand into the pocket of his jacket. "Where's your mother, girl?"

My face twitched with irritation. I hated it when people called me that. I was girl enough but calling me that didn't do anything. Girl wasn't my name and it wasn't a trait I had and it gave no indication of me. Why use a word that didn't add anything when I had a name already?

I clenched one of my fists and wondered if mom would be mad if I kicked out one of our guests. "She's not here yet and my name is Katsuki! Use it or perish, dipshit!"

His eyes flashed but then he started laughing. His laugh wasn't funny though because something about it scared me. Then he pulled something out of his pocket and I froze.

I knew what a knife looked like but seeing one reflecting the light menacingly before me was disorienting. I realized now I'd been dumb in opening the door.

"My my, why so quiet suddenly?" He said that in a gentle but mocking tone as he stepped towards me and I stepped back. "Don't want to get stabbed, Hm?"

Thinking I was probably going to die before I got to eat dinner with my mom made me want to cry I was so angry. I didn't want to die at all but I would have rather he waited til I had a full stomach and a hug from mother.

"How-how do I make you stop?"

The question surprised even me it was so direct. I knew it wouldn't work; it wasn't like he wanted me to stop him but I asked anyway like a dumbass who refused to die with dignity.

He didn't answer, instead he reached forward and gripped my hair tightly. I tried to squirm but then he held the tip of his knife against my cheek and I went limp to avoid getting hurt.

After that he tied a cloth tightly around my mouth so I had to breathe through my nose and he got those clear plastic things to tie my hands together before throwing me on the floor. I was scared now because I thought he was going to kill me but now I had to wait and see.

Mom was late coming home that day. I wish she'd never have come back. Maybe then things would have gone differently.

While we waited for her he helped himself to our food and told me I'd done a good job like he was just being friendly. In that moment I realized that people could say nice things but be out to get me and I grew scared.

After what felt like forever we heard my mom's footsteps echoing down the hall, the sound of her whistling making me sad for the first time. Sad isn't the right word maybe anguished, I'd have to look it up.

I was wondering what he would do when I saw him hiding behind the door and I did the only thing I could and started screaming. The cloth on my mouth muffled the sound but I immediately heard fast echoes before the door swung open.

My mom was home and she froze when she saw me tied up on the floor. She immediately looked around and when she saw no one she came running to my side. "Katsuki, are you alright? Did he hurt you? Where is he?"

I guess she was easily able to guess who it was that had tied me but I wish she'd have run away.

Before she could remove the cloth on my mouth the door swung closed again and this time he locked it.

She rested a hand on my face for a second before she turned around. She'd known he was back there I think and it made me proud of her even if she had nothing to fight him with.

"What do you want?"

He gave his scary laugh again. "It's too late for that you're getting what you deserve!"

He came towards us and my mom began to look around for something to hit him with but there was nothing. As he backed her into a corner in front of me she tried to stall him by talking but he didn't say anything else or stop.

When he was within striking distance she pounced on him and punched him in the face. I'd never seen my mom fight someone but I started to feel like maybe she could win when he fell over and she immediately reached for the knife.

He got it back first.

She screamed the first time he stabbed her but then she couldn't choke out the sound any longer. I wanted to close my eyes when I saw the blood on them and on the floor, when he brought his knife up again and again but all I could do was watch in horror as my eyes stung.

In less than a minute mom was dead.

I couldn't understand what I was seeing anymore though.

Instead I focused on sobbing without choking on the cloth in my mouth and I couldn't think of anything else. I don't know how much time passed or how I managed to fall asleep.

The next time I opened my eyes it was dark out and the body was gone. I was still tied up and I thought he'd left so I tried to scream.

He was in the kitchen though which I heard from him laughing again. The sound of his laughter before was bad enough but now it made me feel ill.

"Ah right I still have to decide what to do with you…"

He crouched down in front of me and rested a hand on my face the way my mom had. I started crying again because he couldn't even let me keep that memory without ruining it.

"Maybe if you're good I'll let you live…"

I'd never thought that I wanted to die before then but I knew I didn't want to go with him.

I was lucky then because there was suddenly a sharp knock on the door. "Are you in there?!"

That voice was familiar but I didn't know whose. They knocked more loudly and then said they were breaking down the door.

"Shit!"

Before anything else could happen he grabbed me by the throat and shoved me against the wall. I couldn't breath and I knew this was the end of the line so I closed my eyes.

A pain like I had never known before pierced my stomach and then another and it was with the third wound that I ran out of air or couldn't take anymore and everything started shutting down.

I couldn't see or feel anymore as I heard myself falling to the ground. Then the last thing I was aware of was the door slamming down and that I felt strangely cold.

I never heard what happened to my killer but he's dead now so none of it matters anymore. 


	2. The Examining: 001

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (update: Wanted this note to go at the end of chapter one but this website hates me) 
> 
> Hewwo it is me, just stopping by to give a bit of background on this! 
> 
> So firstly this story takes place several years post-Summertime Record, the mekakushi dan are all in their mid to late 20s here. This is technically a next-gen story although I don't particularly consider it that but that's the most accurate explanation for it I think. 
> 
> Secondly, you might be wondering why Katsuki didn't wind up going to the haze with her mother. That's because the haze is no longer there, this is a route like Summertime Record but not exactly like it, in this route there is also a city full of gorgons with no connection to Azami whatsoever and it's one of these gorgons that gives Katsuki their snake so she can gain her ability. I'm adding this here because this may or may not be mentioned here as Katsuki isn't aware of this information fully for a while and the fic is written in her perspective. 
> 
> Lastly, I usually don't write in 1st person but for reasons that will probably become apparent soon enough, I decided to format this fic in a way similar to The Deceiving. So that explains that. 
> 
> Anyway thanks for giving this a read! And if you have questions feel free to ask in the comments!!

The next thing I was aware of were rain drops falling on my face and hands lazily. I could count the drops, even, and I did. 

One. Two. One, two, three. 

Hearing the numbers in my head pressed play on something that had happened before but it felt out of time for some reason. 

In the dark, like I was asleep but not dreaming, I heard a voice I hadn't heard before. 

"What scares you, child?" 

Was I still a child? I felt like maybe I wasn't but I didn't remember why I would think that now. Anyway, it was in my own mind so I had to answer whether I wanted to or not. 

"I'm scared of humans, I never know what they're going to do...if they're going to hurt people." 

The voice was soft when it spoke again. "Then that will be the power I give to you, the power to examine the mind, the soul, even the essence of humanity…" 

What did that mean exactly? The words had blurred together and I didn't know them all but somehow I understood that my life was changing. I was changing too. 

"Look around you now, can you see them?" 

I looked and I saw all the numbers. There were lots of them in different patterns, all the way up to nines and tens. The farther I looked the more patterns I saw. 

Suddenly I understood what it was like to be human but I didn't really like what there was to see. 

Anyway as I counted the rain drops I became aware of other things. First that I wasn't alone, there were lots of people around and it was quiet. A little too quiet for what seemed to be over fifty blurry figures all in a large circle. 

What were they all looking at? 

I followed their eyes and settled on a large red box. Oh. That was a casket, wasn't it? The thing looked like I'd seen them on TV. 

Yes, a funeral made sense for there to be so many quiet people. 

But I wasn't really sad yet, after all I just got here to wherever I was exactly. I didn't even know who had died or how I'd come to be here so I couldn't really be sad. 

I couldn't see the numbers in the gloom but I knew everyone was very sad. Whoever died must have been very good and thinking of all the people who would have to live without them now made me sad too. 

"How sad…" I said it out loud without thinking. 

When I heard someone shush me gently I hung my head. "Sorry…" 

That's when I became aware of something else. My right hand was warmer than my left and something was touching it as if someone was holding my hand. I glanced to the side to see someone was holding my hand, though I wasn't able to follow their black sweater sleeve up to a head because I was tired I guess. 

I didn't pay attention to much else because this person seemed kind. Could they be an old friend maybe? Someone from the phone calls I made? Or maybe they were an old neighbor I'd forgotten about.

Eventually, the funeral was over and as if to prove it the rain finally began to pick up hard. Before I could really get wet, something black and feathery covered my head and then I heard an umbrella opening. 

"Oh, is it over?" 

I spoke out loud but I wasn't really talking to anyone in particular. After all, I didn't even know where I was or who these people were. 

Suddenly, I became aware of someone, the one who had held my hand, picking me up and holding me gently in their arms. The pressure of it was all that kept me aware of my surroundings in the moment. 

"Yeah," they said softly. "Let's get out of here, okay? Are you hungry yet?" 

The question surprised me. They really wanted to leave didn't they? I didn't know them yet so I thought they were only trying to comfort me to feel better too. 

Looking down at their shirt I could see, or well I could imagine as if I were seeing, a pattern of ones and zeros. The numbers seemed sad but like they were trying to hold it in. 

I decided to do something so I hugged the strange friend and smiled. "I think you'll be okay… Please don't be sad alone."

They were quiet but then I felt their hand at the back of my head, petting my hair. Doing that and holding me steady as they walked made their numbers change. Was it helping? 

"I won't… Thanks, Katsuki." 

I fell asleep after that and for everything else I was back in that unaware state like before. I still wasn't sad because nothing felt real to me. 

The next time I was awake again I was in a car and the person from before was holding me. They petted my hair and hummed softly. 

Blinking, I rubbed my eyes and looked around. "Huh?" 

"Shh, it's okay," they whispered. "Go back to sleep." 

I wanted to ask a lot of things but they were warm and I was sleepy. So I yawned and decided they were right, I could ask them when I woke up again..

After all it wasn't like they were going to leave me somewhere, right? 

And that's how I came to be left at the adoption facility. 

\---

The knock on the door signaled the arrival of Kido and Mitsuki jumped to get it, managed to trip three times in the space of two seconds over nothing at all, and swung the door open with great ferocity. 

We'd tried to tell her to mind the door but since the dent in the wall from the handle was already there from the unfortunate time her power had activated just as she was coming in, we realized there wasn't much point in it. 

Not like anyone really cared what we did in here, a fact I learned from my predecessor. That's a big word my mom taught me that means a person or thing that came before me. I'd only heard it used to refer to past family members or for things at someone's job or something and it seems like a fancy word. 

Too fancy for a kid whose name is Kano Kirby and who carves bad knock knock jokes into the wall along with whatever he is thinking at the time. The knock knock jokes are boring but I do think the premise of the carvings is interesting.

Sometimes, like right then, I would go over all of them because it gave me something to look at when I was staring at the wall. Most of them were dumb but some of them seemed almost like they were left for me. 

There was also other things to observe. I know how many days he lived in the facility because he carved tallies into the wall behind his bed like I've seen people on TV do when they were being held captive somewhere. 

Was this facility a prison? 

No, no, it wasn't although I did hate living there usually. After all, being tormented by the staff and avoided by the kids minus my roommates was more than a little frustrating. 

Mitsuki called meetings every night to insist we do this and that to be liked more but with our eyes and the abilities they brought us, I knew it wouldn't help anything. 

This was why Kido came to our room so much. Apparently, she was Kirby's roommate and his sister. His name isn't Kirby anymore which is sad because someone who chose such a funny name for himself had to have been interesting. 

Anyway she also has an eye ability and told us about them in length. The important part is the abilities are from snakes that inhabit our bodies and for some reason I kinda knew that it was connected to my old friend's city. He did have snakes for hair, didn't he? 

"Hi, miss- I mean...Hi Kido!" Mitsuki greeted awkwardly. 

Well, as annoying as she was, I guess I had to give her points for trying. 

"Mitsuki, are you alright? Did you trip on the carpet again?" 

A quick peek in their direction confirmed that Kido was looking her over in concern and fussing with her clothes. 

I'd never seen my mom's numbers because our deaths were what brought me this power in the first place but I could rest easy knowing they probably looked a lot like Kido's when she saw Mitsuki.

I couldn't really be jealous because she treated all four of us fairly enough but I wish they'd hurry things up and get Mitsuki adopted already. She'd been here the longest but she was stubborn and said she didn't need parents if she had nice staff members like Kido. 

But Kido was the only one that could be called "nice" and having three roommates was getting on my nerves. Kido, take your kid home already, won't you? 

Kido hasn't figured out she's Mitsuki's mom yet though because she's stubborn too. They make a good pair, since they're kind of alike, although Kido says that Mitsuki is more like her wife. 

This made Mitsuki happy because apparently her wife is some celebrity, in addition to being super cool if she was married to Kido according to Mitsuki. 

I didn't really care about all of that I just didn't want to room with Mitsuki anymore. She was nice, my friend, and I wanted good things for her but I wanted them not stuck in the same small room with me and two others. 

I hadn't considered myself a solitary kid but coming to this place had taught me that I very much like to be left alone. 

"I'm okay! Oh but Katsuki's really sad! She won't even look at me!" 

When she ratted me out to take the focus off herself I couldn't help but make a 'tch' sound and curl in more on myself. She really did do that a lot, it was one thing that I didn't like about her. I guess she thought it was how to survive in this place but it was annoying me. 

"Oh, is she?" 

I heard Kido come close and she rested a hand on my bed, careful not to touch me without permission especially while I was upset. "Do you want to talk about it, Katsuki?" 

"No, leave me alone!" 

I didn't mean to snap at her but it came out that way anyway and I curled in on myself to keep from crying because I hated crying in front of people. 

"Oh no. I'm-I'm sorry she's just mean sometimes!" Mitsuki started apologizing for me again. 

"No I'm not, you're being mean, Mitsuki!" 

"Hey now, let's not have a fight, okay?" Kido said firmly. Then, she turned to Mitsuki. "Katsuki is right to want to be left alone, I like to be alone when I'm sad too so it's okay. She can join us if she wants and if not she doesn't have to." 

"Oh okay...um...Sorry I was mean, Katsuki." 

I was too upset to really talk so I just held my thumb up in agreement. I guess if she apologized I could forgive her, after all it's not like she did it on purpose. I just didn't mean as much as family to her, I got the point in it, but to be honest it hurt a little more than I wanted anyone to know. 

Mitsuki was my first real friend and the first person I had after my mom died so I guess I was a little upset that she was embarrassed by me. 

When I woke up in the facility I didn't know where I was or where the kind stranger had gone to. The first thing I saw was her peering over me, two wide brown eyes blinking down in concern. Her numbers were in a pattern that was new to me. The top layer was fixed, in what seemed like concern, the bottom layer shifted every few seconds restlessly. I could tell right away this girl had many conflicting feelings and that nothing stayed the same moment to moment for her. 

"Why are you on top of me?" I grumbled out by way of greeting and she winced, nearly falling off my bed, standing and going a little bit away to give me space. 

"You were screaming in your sleep." 

"I was?"

Sitting up, I looked around and frowned. I wasn't back in my apartment, the room I was in was strange with three beds, mine in the corner of the room to the left and two more against the other wall. The walls were bland and the floors had a beige carpet but it didn't look very clean or in good condition as in some spots it had been worn through. 

I looked to her again and suddenly I felt scared. "Where am I? Where's my mom?" 

The girl blinked at me and then stared uncomfortably for a minute. Her twos stilled and stopped their shifting as though she was suddenly in a state of quiet sadness. She rested a hand curled up on her mouth and spoke up again. "You're in an orphanage… because your mom is dead." 

That’s the first time I really knew the meaning of the word speechless. 

I didn’t want to believe it but I knew it was true, the memories of what happened flickering in the back of my mind vaguely. I knew I had been killed along with my mother but somehow I had managed to survive...because of that voice I heard in my mind, I bet. That was what I thought then. 

When I began to cry loudly, the girl winced and immediately came over to me. “Uhhh sh-shh! Please don’t cry! They might here you and-and we could get in trouble somehow!” 

The idea of living somewhere I’d be punished for crying only made the situation feel worse and so I began to cry harder.  
“Oh no! Uhh...this is bad…” She handed me her pillow. “You can muffle it with that, okay?” 

Because I didn’t want to face whatever kind of person that would be angry at a kid for crying over these things, I did as instructed and cried into the pillow she gave me. She sat down next to me and rested a hand on my back, which didn’t make me feel any better but it didn’t make me feel worse so it was okay. 

I cried for a while and then I fell asleep.


End file.
